There are plenty of burger joints and restaurants in Alexandria which serve food that makes your mouth water. These joints and restaurants are some of the most attractive reasons to live in and around the Old Town Area. Residents love that they can sample food that is both fancy, and salt of the earth.
So, here is a list of the best burger joints that you can find in Old Town Alexandria and their scrumptious delights.
Five Guys
One of our favorite burger joints in Northern Virginia here at Michael Gailliot Homes near the beach is the Five Guys. This restaurant allegedly offers “250,000 ways to customize your burger and more than 1000 milkshake combinations”.
We say allegedly because we obviously haven’t counted. However, the number of times we’ve eaten here makes it seem like the truth. There’s always something different to be had at Five Guys. You’ll probably hear the same thing from long-time connoisseurs who have been coming here for nearly 40 years.
Five Guys is known for being extremely choosy when it comes to their ingredients. If you hear them tell it, they see using frozen ingredients as nothing less than sacrilege. They prepare fresh ingredients every morning and serve peanuts while you wait for your meal. They boast no freezers due to a strict fresh ground beef policy. They are also famous for double cooking their fries in 100% peanut oil.
Since the Five Guys opened in 1986, it’s been one of the most beloved burger joints in all of Old Town. They’ve been keeping alive the tradition of fresh food since the beginning when the Murrell Brothers started the joint. They even freshly cut the fries each morning and stock the potatoes at each of their locations to show off just how committed to freshness they are.
Finally, they also have a special partnership with Coca-Cola called Freestyle. They claim to offer more than 100 “delicious drink possibilities” as a result.
Five Guys opens at 11 am every day of the week.
Emmy Squared
You may be wondering why we put a Pizza joint on a list for the best burgers in Virginia. Well, this one offers pizzas and burgers to die for. So, while you’re there, why not have both? We did!
Emmy Squared Pizza isn’t a name that you’ll hear from everyone who has lived in Old Town Alexandria since it’s so new. Their first location opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2016. However, their offerings were so tasty that they soon became the talk of the town; any town they went to!
Let’s talk about their burgers first. Their specialty is the “Le Big Matt”, which is a double-stack burger. Not only is it, as Ned Flanders would say, “scrump-diddly-umptious”, but it’s also acclaimed. It’s been on numerous lists as one of the best burgers in New York City. It was even voted the Best Burger in Nashville by the Tennessean and Nashville Lifestyles. That’s how you know a burger is good, when both Tennessee and Nashville tip their cap to you.
Now, let’s talk about their pizza. Emmy Squared combined New York Style Pizza with Detroit Style. Their squared pizza is made with focaccia-like dough and caramelized cheese. They call this combination, the “frico crust”. This style is combined and crossed with various other toppings and styles to give Emmy Squared their specific flavor.
They also offer family meals and “Wine Down Wednesday” where they offer 50% off on their featured wine collection. Finally, they also have their own app for special discounts and offers.
You can order in, pick up, or dine in any day of the week.
Hard Times Cafe
Hard Times café is now part of the heart and soul of Old Town Alexandria. For more than 40 years, the restaurant has been killing it. It has chains in Maryland, Washington DC, but its home is always Alexandria.
The café has been listed amongst the city’s best eateries and Zagat’s Top 20 Area Restaurants from 2003 to 2008. While their burgers have been acclaimed and praised for many decades, these are the favorites:
- Black and Bleu Burger
- Chili Cheddar Burger
- Bacon Cheese Burger
All these burgers are made with fresh ground beef which is then hand patted and chargrilled. The burgers are all served with fresh-cut fries and shredded lettuce with tomato and pickles.
Holy Cow
Located at 2312 MT. Vernon Avenue, Holy Cow presents you with a variety of gourmet burgers throughout the week. Holy Cow has received several compliments for its services during the pandemic and especially its pickup system.
As for their burgers, there made with 100% all natural angus beef and cooked to perfection at 165 degrees F. This ensures a juicy, but fully cooked burger that they say will leave you satisfied.
Reviewers on Yelp have remarked that their food is both juicy and delicious. Though, there have been certain reviewers who have complained about too much sauce on their burgers.
Holy Cow’s claim to fame is their Build Your Own Burger which leaves it up to the customer to design their own burger. If you’re dining in, the cashier will give you a sheet to fill out so you can customize your burger. If you order online, you can select options as you go along filling your cart. That way, you can make your own version of the best burgers in Alexandria.
Other great burgers on the list include the Holy Pig, The Popper, and The Hot Mess. Holy Cow also includes a message on their menu to ask for their “Burger of the Moment”. This is the day’s special and will obviously shift and change depending on the season or the customers.
Aside from burgers, Holy Cow also offers some great shakes and beverages ranging from water to frosty cold beer.
Holy Cow offers pick up, delivery, and dine-in options all year round.
PLNT Burgers
Finally, we come to the new kid on the block and the only vegan option on this list. PLNT Burger has been described as the vegan option with the SoCal vibe. Co-founder Spike Mendelsohn is a culinary school grad and top chef survivor. He is even on the DC Food Policy Council as chairman.
PLNT Burger’s claim to fame has been its all-vegan menu, but also its remarkable taste. They get their plant beef patties from Beyond Meat, the Southern California company whose board chairman is a PLNT burger co-founder.
It’s been described as if the “all-American hamburger grew a conscience” by the Washington Post. That’s all fine, but how does it taste? Well, you wouldn’t ever think that you’re tasting anything else but meat. The look and feel of the burgers is just like you’ve eaten at McDonald’s, KFC, Hardees, or any other burger joints.
Connoisseurs may notice, but we honestly didn’t care. The scrumptious lumps of not-meat in our mouths felt delectable and juicy. It’s exactly the kind of healthy option that can transform your eating habits from bordering on gluttony to health-conscious.
Michael Gailliot Homes Will Find You a Home Near Burger Paradise
Michael Gailliot Homes specializes in the area of Old Town Alexandria, and Northern Virginia. We know that residents love the sights and sounds as much as the tastes. So, whether you’re more of a gourmet, or just love good old beef patties, we know what you like.
At Michael Gailliot Homes we value your need for great food and great tastes wherever you live. That’s why we have listings for apartments and homes near the Old Town area where you can find food paradise. More than that, you can find burger paradise.
So, come to Michael Gailliot Homes to find your dream home, right next to your dream buffet.
